Mail-box.



No. 157,513. 4 PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

N. H. STURGIS-Ys Mus. ALLEN.

MAIL Box.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1992.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H mm PM UNITED STATES PatentedA pril 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON H. STURGIS AND MATHEW S. ALLEN, OF GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

MAIL-BOX.

SPEGTFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,513, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed August 23, 1902, Serial No. 120,850- (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that we, NELSON H. STURGIS and MATHEW S. ALLEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Guthrie, in the county of Logan and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to mail-boxes, and more particularly to that class employedin the rural free-delivery service.

One of the objects of the invention is to 'provide indicating mechanism of a simple nature and easily operable which will impart desirable information of various sortsas, for mstance, notifying the collector of the presence of mail in the box or showing to passers-by the probable state of the weather as in the following specification, though it will view of the improved mail-box.

prognosticated by the Weather Bureauthis mechanism being so arranged that it can be operated only by authorized persons.

The preferred form of construction is shown in the accompanying drawings and described be understood that various changes may be made from the structure as set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the box. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the cover opened and a portion of the walls broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the interior arrangements. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the indicator-disks.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention shown a receptacle is employed comprising a bottom 10, side walls 11, end walls 12, and a cover 13, hinged to one of the side walls, said cover being fastened in its closed position by a suitable lock 14. The'ends 12 are "double, or, in other words, each comprises spaced walls 12, forming therebetween a chamber 15, having an open top and bottom, as illustrated in Figs. 2

and 4. "The inner end walls are preferably integral with the side wall, and the outer walls are supplementaLhaving flanges 16 at their ends,

dles projecting entirely through the walls, as

shown. The outer ends of these spindles are made angular to receive a suitable operatingkey, and they are. protected by circular bosses 19. Arranged in the chambers 15 are indicators in the form of disks 20, secured to the spindles and movable across the openings 17. One of these disks is intended for notifying the mail collector of the presence of mail in the box,'and said disk therefore has differently-colored sections 21, which are movable alternately across the opening 17 The other disk is employed as an indicator to impart information regarding the probable state of the weather in the near future,'and it is there-- fore provided with a plurality of signs, as 22, shaped and colored to correspond with the various flags employed by the; United States Weather Bureau, these signs being consecutively movable to aposition behind the opening17 when the stem is revolved. The spindles 18 and disks carried thereby are nor- -mally held against rotation by means of toothed wheels 23, secured to the inner ends of the spindles, and dogs 24:, arranged upon the inner faces of the inner walls 12 and engaging these toothed wheels. The end of the box or receptacle which carries the Weather Bureau signals above described may also be provided on its exterior face with afield 25,

suitably subdivided and having the difierent points of thecompass marked thereon. A

pointer 26, rotatably mounted within this field, is provided with a squared stem 27, adapted to receive a key, by means of which the pointer may be turnedto any of said points, and thereby indicate the direction of the wind. A barometer 28 of suitable construction may also be located upon this end of the receptacle. g

The interior of the receptacle is subdivided by longitudinal and transverse partitions 29 into letter-receiving compartments 30, said partitions terminating short of the u pper. edge.

of the receptacle. A coin-receiving pocket 31 may also be located in one corner of the receptacle, as shown.

above one of the compartments and the pocket 31, this opening being normally-covered,however, by flaps 33, hinged to the Walls by spring-hinges 34, the outer flapbeing held in inclined position by means of triangular supporting-plates 35, secured to the wall.

The cover 13 is preferably arrangedat an inclination and'not only covers the open top of the receptacle and its compartments, but also the chambers'15. With this construction it will be apparent that the owner may be prowardly the inner flap. This mail, it will be.

noticed, will drop into the compartment 30 directly beneath the opening, Whereas the col- 7 lector will place the mail to be distributed in the other compartment, and thus allwill be kept separate. The pocket 31 is designed to receive coin for stamps, registered letters, or money-orders. The large portion of the box can of course be used for large packages, such as newspapers and the like. The collectoris also provided with a key which .will. permit him to open the box and remove therefrom the mail to be collected, as well as deposit therein the mail to be distributed. At the same time he returns his signal back to its customary position.

It has been the aim of the Department of Agriculture todistribute as widely as possible the prognostications of the Weather Bureau regarding the state of. the weather in the near future. To this endreports are usually sent to different oflices, including those of the Post- Oflice' Department. The collector may in turn transmit this information further by A slot o'ropening 32' is formed in the wall of the receptacle directly means of the mechanism herewith disclosed,

.and receiving it from a suitable primary indicator arranged at the post-oifice or his headquarters he can readily movethe various signs upon the boxes along his route to correspond with the signals as furnished at headquarters. It will therefore be apparent that a box is provided which is very simple in construction, will constitute a safe receptacle for mail, and will protect it against the weather. The indicating mechanism is also of a very simple character, and atthe same time it cannot readily be moved by any but authorized persons. Another advantage resides in the construction of the closures for the opening 32.

vThese closures are entirely independent, the

outer one acting as a water-shed, while the inner one completely closes the opening. The arrangement of the compartments within the .box is also advantageous, as it allows the mail deposited by the owner to be kept separate from that depositedby the collector. Attention isalso invited tov the particular construction of the indicator. In the first place it will be observed that-the, supplemental wall is attached to-the outside of the box proper, and

the sight-opening, is formed .in said supple-. .rnental wall jThe walls of the box are therefore, not weakenedbyqsuch openings, and, moreover, should it be desirable to dispense with either of the signals the outer Wall and signal may be removed without affecting the security of the receptacle proper. Moreover, by having the supplemental wall on the outside the compartment formed thereby has an open top and bottom, so that dirt will'not collect in said compartment to interfere with the signal. Another advantage resides in the particular arrangement of the indicator-disk and the ratchet or-toothed wheel. By having said toothed wheel on the inside of the inner wall the compartment may be made sufiiciently' narrow to snugly receive the indicator-disk, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and thus said disk cannot buckle or become displaced.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-describedinvention will, be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and vit -will be understood that various changes in the size, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting-from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in- Vention.'

Having thus described our invention, what we claim asnew, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is'- a I In a mail-box, the combination with a mailreceptacle. having an end wall,of a supplemental wall secured to the outer face of the receptacle andhavingav sight-opening, said supplemental wall extending acrossand being spaced from the end wall forming a compartour own we have hereto afiixed our signatures men:1 1 that is'gpen at itshtop and bottom, 3- in the presence of two witnesses. spin e exten ing across t e compartment an being journaled in the Walls, and an indicatorgggg disk located in the compartment and secured l to the spindle, seid disk coaoting with the Witnesses: sight-opening of the supplemental wall. 0. W. GooDRIoH,

In testimonythat we claim the foregoing as R.' S. HIBBs. 

